Meek
A nickname surname for someone thought to be gentle, mild, or humble.
The #2,419 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 20,624 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Meek comes from Middle English meke, meaning “mild” or “humble.” The word ultimately goes back to older North Germanic forms and is cognate with Old Norse mjúkr, “soft” or “gentle,” though 19th-century sources sometimes gave broader or slightly different comparisons. As a surname, it began as a nickname for a person seen as modest, gentle, or submissive in manner.
History
The name is well attested in medieval English records, and early bearers include forms such as Robert le Meke. It remained most common in England and later spread to Scotland, Ireland, and English-speaking countries through migration. Some writers also linked related forms like Meekins to Meek, though those are separate or expanded surname shapes.
Origin
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Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley grouped Meek with surnames formed from personal qualities, alongside names like Humble, Sweet, and Gentle.
From the historical record
“MEEHAN, V. Mac Meehan. MEEK j Mild, Humble [M.E. meke, meoc, MEEKES O.N. »;j«A-r, soft, meek] Robert le Meke.— Ca/, Inq. P.M. MEEKI MEEKI j^ jfor Meakin, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)